Wan Shi Tong's Legends
by 100TenMillion
Summary: As I visited the library of Wan Shi Tong, I collected a great selection of tomes that contain legends long forgotten in our world. I share them with you, so they may be remembered once more. Stories of the early Avatars, the time of Rava, and beyond.
1. Chapter 1

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

The Lost Legend of the 9th Avatar, Vamana: The Avatar and the Giant

As I scoured the library of Wan Shi Tong, I was lucky enough to find several parchments detailing what was, until today, considered lost histories and legends. These are folk tales that have been lost to time, for a variety of reasons: the cultures that spoke them died out, or the details have been changed so much over time that, once we got them, they were new stories, for all intents and purposes. This is one of those legends that were lost because the people that told it died out, and the only surviving manuscript resides in Wan Shi Tong's library.

Millenia ago, before the Earth Kingdom was united, this land was separated into hundreds of kingdoms and chiefdoms, led by many different men and women. Each of these kings, queens, warlords, and nobles had their own lands, and many of them ruled with wisdom and kindness. But as is common with mankind, some ruled with an iron fist, and their greed clouded their hearts. In the kingdom of Bali, located in what is now the southern part of the United Republic of Nations, there was an earthbender named Peracai, who ousted the true King and crowned himself. Unsatisfied with what he saw as a sliver of land in a giant world, he sought to conquer the entire continent.

Now, Peracai was a boastful man, but he was rightly so, as he was the most powerful earthbender the world had seen by then. He was so strong, he could crush boulders as big as a house with one move. He was talented enough to bore through the strongest rocks, to turn pebbles out of mountains. He boasted he could destroy any kingdom with his bending, even Ba Sing Se. He was a mountain of a man, whose very presence evoked images of powerful spirits like Hei Bai.

Peracai's mission of conquest led him to a tiny fishing village located near a lake that no longer exists today. This village, however, was also entertaining a very important visitor: the Avatar himself, Vamana.

Born of the Sun Warriors, Vamana was a small man, as small as a child. When he was ten, he was the size of a toddler. When he was sixteen and was told of his destiny as the Avatar, he barely reached to the average man's waist. Not much has been written of Vamana, but the Avatars who have come after him and sought his knowledge have described him as a warm man, fierce when angry, gentle when happy.

"What is this village to me, if not a stepping stone for my conquest?" Boasted Peracai, loud as he could, using his earthbending to knock down the houses. Vamana, who had been fishing with a friend at that time, sat up from the pier and walked towards the conqueror.

"Enough, you. Leave this village and rule your country in peace." Said Vamana to Peracai. But the conqueror laughed at the little man.

"Little ant of a man! I am conqueror of all I see, for I can destroy all!" Said Peracai as he stamped the ground, causing it to shake, destroying the few houses left standing. The villagers rushed towards Peracai, bowing before him in surrender. But Vamana did not bow.

"He who boasts of his strength, has none." Said Vamana to the giant. "Your heart is clouded by pride, and this pride feeds your greed. What is a conqueror, if not a weak man who is never satisfied?"

"You call this weak?" Yelled Peracai as he used his earthbending to lift a giant boulder above him, levitating it. "This is power! The power to crush the weak, to destroy all who oppose me!"

Vamana merely tapped the ground with his heel, and a small rock, barely big enough to fit the palm of his hand, levitated in front of him. "I too can lift a rock strong enough to defeat my foes."

"I will crush you!" Yelled Peracai, but at that moment, Vamana moved his right foot forward and extended his palm towards Peracai, launching the floating rock towards his foe's temple. Peracai let out a scream, falling backward as his temple bled, the boulder above him crumbling around him. Vamana used his own earthbending to keep the boulder from crushing Peracai. Slowly, the Avatar walked towards the giant man.

"I saved your life. Your own power could have destroyed you, if not for me." Said Vamana to a weeping Peracai. "Look at you, all that boasting, but one small rock was enough to defeat you."

And Peracai, humiliated, turned away from the jeering villagers. As the giant man walked the mountains alone, he once more encountered the Avatar. "I wonder." Asked Vamana. "If you would join me for a mile."

And so Peracai joined Vamana in his journey for one mile. And one mile became ten. And ten miles, one thousand. Stripped of his pride, his greed died out, and Peracai became a peaceful protector of the weak, becoming the fabled Giant who Protects.

It should be noted that the existence of Peracai has long been forgotten, as even Vamana refuses to talk much about himself or his friends. However, when Avatar Korra inquired about Peracai directly when she spoke to Vamana (by my grandfather's insistence), he answered "He was a good friend. Very humble."


	2. Chapter 2

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

The Lost Legend of the 17th Avatar, Maui: The Spirit of the Volcano

Some Avatars have become little more than footnotes in history, such as Kuruk, Hou, or Yama. Some Avatars have been immortalized for their heroic deeds, like Korra, Aang, Kyoshi, or Guan Yu. But there are Avatars whose very existence is so shrouded in myth that it is hard to believe what was real about them and what was hearsay, or exagerations, or "creative truths". One such Avatar was Maui, the seventeenth Avatar.

Of all the details pertaining to Maui, only a handful are known for certain to be fact: he was born on Ember Island to the Red Fire tribe, a nation of firebenders from before there was a Fire Nation. He lived to be 56 years old, quite young but not nearly as young as the youngest Avatar to have died. Maui was also quite popular with children, and to this day there are still some games named after him, and books about his legends still sell. He was also a trickster, even in his adulthood, and rode an Unagi across the oceans of the world.

But everything else about Maui is questionable, and even his spirit refuses to dispel any of the rumors or myths about him, often exagerating details for the sake of it. An example would be the legend of him being born with four heads, one for each Element; Maui himself had told Aang that the number of heads was eighteen, while he then told Korra he was born with five heads. Another example would be the legend of how he tamed his Unagi: some say he slew its parents with Waterbending and forced the beast into servitude, while others say he saved it from being eaten when it was a baby. Maui never really cleared up what actually happened.

Perhaps the most famous of Maui's legends is the tale of how he tamed the Volcano Spirit in what is today the capital of the Fire Nation. Back in Maui's days, the volcano was in fact not only active, it was home to a wicked volcano spirit. This spirit not only enjoyed tormenting the villagers that lived near his volcano, he also demanded tribute quite often, and during the worst times too. This volcano spirit would demand water in times of drought, food in times of hunger, and child sacrifices in times of war, lest he destroyed the entire island in a chain of volcanic erruptions.

When Maui had heard about the spirit, he came up with a plan. He went to the spirit's volcano lair, and told him "Spirit, I am the Avatar, and I am here to offer you my servitude."

The spirit laughed. "Ah! For Rava to recognize my greatness! What honor has come to befall me!"

"Oh yes, a great honor." Said Maui. "I wonder, oh Spirit, if you'd join me for a drink?"

"What kind of drink?"

"One from my native land. It's called poi." Said Maui as he handed the spirit a cup with a yellow liquid in it.

Poi is a drink from Ember Island that is still served to this day. The traditional ingredients are mashed ash bananas mixed with papaya juice, pineapple slices, and no less than three cups of alcohol, mixed in a bowl for ten minutes, and served on cups made of coconut shells. A popular drink for tourists, but not for those that can't handle their alcohol.

And so Maui served the spirit a cup of poi, and he himself drank a cup as well. "Care for another, oh Spirit?"

"Of course! This drink is delicious!" Said the spirit. Maui reached for another cup of poi. Unknow to the spirit, Maui was Waterbending the alcohol to go through his body and unto the palm of his hand, where he'd subtly allow the alcohol to drip unto the spirit's cup. He served the spirit a second cup, and he himself drank another. And this process continued for six more cups, until the spirit passed out drunk.

Maui encased the Spirit into magma using his Earthbending, carried him to the North Pole, and tossed him right through the Spirit Portal, where Koh the Face Stealer awaited him. And thus, the people of what would become the Fire Nation were freed from the wicked spirit of the volcano.

Is this story true, or not? We can never know for sure, because aside the fact no one would dare ask Koh to verify, Maui himself has never given a straight answer. Nor would he ever.


	3. Chapter 3

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

The Tragedies of Avatar Maia and Avatar Yu

The tradition of abstaining from letting the Avatar know of their identity until their 16th birthday began after the time of the 84th Avatar, Yu. Yu was a boy born to rice farmers in what was then known as the Kingdom of Ba Sing Se, whom at the age of 13 was drafted into the Grand Army of Ba Sing Se, which at the time was ruled by a king whose name was deliberately erased from history.

Three years Yu fought under the banner of his king, and with his mighty Earthbending, he decimated cities, destroyed his enemies, and bit by bit conquered the territory of what in the future would become the Earth Kingdom. But Yu had trouble sleeping, and every night was the same dream: he'd be walking in halls made of ice, the light of the moon shining brightly outside. Suddenly, he'd feel a sharp pain in his chest. He'd look down, and see an arrow, dripping with blood, sticking out from his chest. Everything would get darker, and at that exact moment, every night, he'd wake up drenched in sweat. He'd consulted oracles, healers, doctors, but none could tell him the cause of his nightmares, much less stop them. By the time he was 14, he'd given up any hope of ever getting better.

On the day of his sixteenth birthday, an occasion he himself had forgotten, he encountered the trail leading towards the Eastern Air Temple. He climbed the trail, his curiosity getting the better of him. His troop had tried to dissuade him, but he was insistent. When night fell, he encountered a beautiful nun named Tseten, who took him to the temple, clothed him, and gave him water. He fell asleep, and sure enough, he had the nightmare again.

In the morning, the head nun, Chagdud, entered the room where Yu was held, and after reprimanding Tseten for not anouncing the arrival of the Avatar, took him to the mediation hall, where she listened as he described his nightmare. She nodded in silence, and told him "We've expected you for years now, Yu. Do you know what you are?"

"A soldier of Ba Sing Se..." Yu responded, confused.

"No, young man, you are so much more. You are the Avatar." Replied the nun, and she led him towards the hall of the Avatar. She directed him towards a statue of a little girl, and told him to meditate.

He sat down, legs crossed, and he began to meditate. And he stayed in that position for seven hours, until finally his head cleared of all doubt, all fear, all anger, and all sorrow. On that moment, a young girl appeared before him: his past life, Avatar Maia.

"When I was but four years old, I was discovered to be the next Avatar. I was taken from my family, given a golden crown, bathed in scented oils, and was brought to the Water Temple in the North Pole, where I was to learn Waterbending. On the eve of my seventh birthday, as I walked the halls of the temple, an arrow struck me in the heart."

"What? Who would dare murder a child?" Asked Yu, outraged.

"The man who killed me wished for the next Avatar to be his servant. To that end, he had me killed, and ordered his men to search for the next Avatar in the entire Earth continent. He wished to steal the Avatar from whatever family he was born to, but as his luck would have it, the Avatar was born in his own country. Ever since you were born, Yu, you've been indoctrinated to serve the man who killed you in your last life." Said Maia. "The last thing I saw was his face, and through your eyes I have identified the man who killed me- the King of Ba Sing Se."

"My nightmare, then, was a memory?" Yu asked, and Maia nodded. "How may I end it?"

"You can only end the nightmare by facing the man who took away your life, and made you swear loyalty." Maia replied before vanishing.

Angered beyond reason, Yu rushed away from the temple and headed towards Ba Sing Se, using the Avatar State for the first time in his entire life. He tore down the walls of Ba Sing Se, destroyed any building that stood in his path, burnt to death any soldier that tried to stop him, until he at last came face to face with the King.

"Murderer!" He yelled out. "You killed Avatar Maia!"

The King stood up from his throne. History has long forgotten this episode, by the command of the King's son, Hung-Yul, who would become the first king Earth King. Hung-Yul felt nothing but shame for the actions his father commited against the Avatar, and dedicated his rule to not just peace within his new Kingdom, but among the Nations as well. For this reason, he destroyed every record of his father's existence, to the point that even his name has been lost to time. However, Hung-Yul himself was not without sin, for he was forced to sentence Avatar Yu to death. Though he understood the Avatar's action, he could not permit the world to think that the Avatar could get away with killing the rulers of nations.

King Hung-Yul met with the rulers and the sages of the other Nations of the world, and he suggested that, from that point onward, when the Avatar is found, his or her identity shall be kept secret from the rest of the world, even from the kings and queens, until the Avatar has come of age. This tradition stayed until Avatar Aang was told of his destiny at age 12, during the early days of the Hundred Year War. It was originally planned for the tradition to be done away with, as Avatar Korra was well aware of her status as Avatar by the age of four. However, her kidnapping by the Red Lotus at that tender age has been more than enough to convince the leaders of the world to reinstate the tradition, and thus the current Avatar's identity is still unknown to the public.

It's for the best, considering the current political climate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

The Nations before the Four Nations

Long before the Four Nations were formed, mankind formed several, smaller states that were led by various different forms of government, the most common being monarchies. A great deal of these nations have been forgotten, and only some of the old kingdoms of the Earth Continent are remembered in any way. Wan Shi Tong's library, however, has several tomes regarding these nations, though he only allowed me to view a handful of them, saying "Most of these tomes need to be restored thoroughly before I can allow anyone to read them." This is what I've gathered.

The earliest Fire state was founded six years after the end of the Era of Rava, and it was ruled by the Chou house of the Fire Lion Turtle. This state had no name, or if it did it was not in any of the scrolls I had access to, and it lasted until the years of the fourth Avatar, when its ruling house fell and the people fled to parts unknown. Avatar Wan taught its people his Dancing Dragon style of Firebending (though the term "bending" would not appear until the later years of the second Avatar), and in this way, the Chou house was kept in check. The islands of what is today known as the Fire Nation also held several, independent tribes, the most known being the Red Fire tribe, the birth place of Avatar Maui. There was also the Dancing Fire tribe that lived on Red Sand Island, the Hot Smoke tribe that lived near the volcano in the main island, and the Yuyan tribe, whose militaristic attitudes would be passed on to the modern Fire Nation.

There were once were four Air Nations. The first were the Zen Followers, who followed the teachings of Gurus. These Air people were nomadic, choosing to stay far away from all civilizations as possible, prefering to live in nature. The second Air nation called themselves the Wind People, and unlike the Zen, they chose to live amongside the other nations of the world, while keeping their own customs and traditions. These people lived in various levels of acceptance from the other nations, from tolerance to outright rejection. They were wiped out by the time of the 20th Avatar. The third Air nation was the Seekers, and they travelled the world seeking what they believed was their Promised Land, a land that existed high in the sky, away from the other nations, only for them. Like the Zen, the Seekers stayed out of the affairs of the world, often building several Sanctuaries for themselves, of which three survive to this day: the Eastern Air Temple, Western Air Templer, and Southern Air Temple. The Zen and the Seekers eventually began merging, until the Air Nomads were born. The fourth Air nation is mentioned only once, and only in passing; they were called the Nin.

During the Great Freeze of the 500th year of the Age of the Avatar, the Water Tribes were at their most numerous. Originally, the Water tribes were a collection of loose villages located in the North Pole, many of whom were much too isolated from the rest of the world, to the point that some of these villages believed Wan was still the Avatar, three hundred years after his death. But during the Great Freeze the Waterbenders of the North moved southward towards the Continent, half of which was covered in snow, and created several different, independent tribes. Among these was the Izumi Falls tribe, which built its city around the Izumi Falls, which was then the largest waterfall in the world. There was also the Hyung Glacier tribe, which was located in what is now Zaofu. And then there were tribes that lived side by side with Earthbenders, such as the Misty Trees tribe, the Foamy Waves tribe, and the Yamana River tribe. But once the Great Freeze ended in the 1300th year of the Age of the Avatar, and the ice and snow that made the livelihood of these tribes possible had melted off, the Waterbenders were forced to move back north towards the North Pole. The Waterbenders that did not were eventually wiped out by xenophobic warlords.

The old Earth continent kingdoms are well known, but some bear mentioning. Omashu was once its own independent kingdom, and until the dissolution of the Earth Kingdom it enjoyed a level of autonomy that no other state in the Earth Kingdom ever had. For that reason, no one was surprised when this kingdom declared its independence as soon as the Earth Kingdom was declared to be dissolved, or that it was the first state to do so. There was also the Kingdom of Bali, the Kingdom of Lanka, the Si Wong tribes, and the Kingdom of Ba Sing Se.

It is interesting to note that not once in the history of the Age of the Avatar had there been a nation founded and characterized by non-benders until the United Republic of Nations, and even that wasn't true until the last six months before Harmonic Convergence. This tidbit of information was not accessible to the old Equalists of Republic City, but it is, in fact, the central piece of the Neo-Equalist movement's propaganda, which calls for the creation of a state made for and by non benders.


	5. Chapter 5

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

The Works of Avatar Petrel: _Ming-Wa of Mine_

It is known that, rarely, certain Avatars are so successful at keeping peace and balance between nations, that their works last for generations. For example, Avatar Yangchen's work allowed Avatar Kuruk to live a hedonistic lifestyle, challenging other benders across the world to contests. There have been exactly five Avatars to have lived during these types of times: The 10th Avatar, Jamyang, being the earliest known Avatar to enjoy a life of relative peace thanks to the works of Avatar Vamana; the 71st Avatar, Aglakti; the 313th Avatar, Yama; and of course, the aforementioned Kuruk. But perhaps the sole Avatar to live in peaceful times and still make a mark on history has to be the 63rd Avatar, Petrel.

Petrel lived during a time of relative peace, where except for some mountain bandits here or there, some pirate attacks, and some minor scuffles, the world was in no need of someone to restore balance. Because of this, Petrel allowed himself to pursue his greatest passion: the written word.

There is but one word to describe Petrel's writing: genius. Petrel wrote thousands of works in his life time, from romances to satires, comedies to tragedies, haikus to novels. His most celebrated work, which is considered required reading for all literary students, is _The Canyon Runs Between Them, _one of the oldest surviving novels in the world, about a group of thieves who discover the baby Prince of Omashu abandoned in the Great Divide. What follows is a farcical tale of class warfare, romance, politics, and parenthood, with several questions regarding the morality of thievery in times of hardship. Originally written on over sixty thousand scrolls, modern printing technologies have allowed us to print the novel into five separate volumes of 1120 pages each.

Petrel's poetry is also top notch, though many claim exception to his poem being _Ming-Wa of Mine. _I admit, I have read this poem several times over, as it is one of my favorites of all time. Allow me to present but a small excerpt.

_Oh Ming-Wa of mine_

_For whom the Sun does shine_

_She as beautiful as the Moon_

_Whom I wish to see not soon._

_Oh Ming-Wa divine_

_she who is no longer mine_

_Our love has no repair_

_No chance at all, not a prayer._

_Oh Ming-Wa, once mine_

_Your love was once divine._

_But your kisses are like a gayal_

_And your womanhood a portrayal_

_Of a poor and unkempt kraal._

_Oh Ming-Wa, my dear_

_With nose crooked and queer_

_With eyes morose and opaque_

_Face of an ox, tongue of a snake!_

The poem keeps on like that, becoming more and more insulting as it goes on, culminating with Petrel calling Ming-Wa the poetic equivalent of "whore". Ming-Wa and Petrel were once romantically involved, you see, but she married a Water Tribe prince, ending her romance with Petrel.

Or at least that's what Petrel wrote. In Wan Shi Tong's library I discovered diaries written by friends of Ming-Wa, who make some interesting claims. For one, Ming-Wa was already married when she met Petrel, and it was she who initiated the entire romance. Her husband, Alornerk, was disinterested in her, and married her only for political reasons. These writings also suggest Alornerk was a homosexual, and he wrote several poems to Petrel, ironically. None of these poems survive, except for one found in his own diary. I read it, it was awful.

Throughout history, several writers have taken to writing works based on Petrel's writings, the most popular subjects being stories that take place during _The Canyon Runs Between Them _or poems told from Ming-Wa's point of view that answer the allegations in _Ming-Wa of Mine._ None of these works compare to the originals, but some do stand out, particularly the haiku _Oh Petrel, _written by Wu Tang Yan.

_Oh Petrel, my Love_

_You have no right to portray_

_Me as a liar_


	6. Chapter 6

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

Mankind in Brevity

"Pia, daughter of Pao, son of Po." I hear Wan Shi Tong himself call for me. "If you wish to visit this library any further, you must contribute to its knowledge."

"Well, Lord Wan Shi Tong, I have a few books you might be interested in." I say as I reach down into my bag and pull out some manuals. "How would you like some manuals that describe how Farvisions work?"

Wan Shi Tong grumbles to himself, as if debating the merit of my manuals. "Years ago, my foxes misinformed me on the workings of the radio. When they told me how the Farvision works, I was cautious to accept their explanation. Still, what guarantee do I have that these manuals will contain information that will contradict my foxes?"

"These manuals also describe how to build and repair a Farvision." I add, hopeful that my contribution will be enough to sway Wan Shi Tong to allow me another visit.

"Hmm, I suppose this contribution shall suffice for now." He says as he takes the manuals. "You may read any tome you wish, so long as the knowledge you seek is only for its own sake. I still do not trust you humans. You are allowed six hours, not a second more."

This is tiresome. Every time I come here I have to go this spirit at least one book, or else he'll deny me entrance to his library. It took Avatar Korra decades to convince Wan Shi Tong to allow humans to visit the library again, and even then he'll only allow certain humans that meet his criteria: they must be academics, published authors, over twenty years of age with absolutely no military background for at least five generations, and must possess absolutely no ulterior motive to visit the library except to seek knowledge for its own sake. And that's only to get you to the door, to get through you have to contribute something to expand the library's catralogue! For every one time I'm allowed in, I get turned away ten, because Wan Shi Tong already so happens to own a copy of whatever I offer him. But I have to do it, because my grandfather would have wanted me to learn as much of the past Avatars as I could.

"My thanks to you, Lord Wan Shi Tong." I bow to the spirit. As I pick up my bag, he turns to me.

"Actually, I have been informed you are a scholar of ancient arts, am I correct?" He asks me.

"I am a scholar of this world's history, and that includes the arts, yes." I reply to him.

"I have a painting I would like to have analyzed, made by that human painter Hyeon. If you assist, the next time you come here you will be excused from having to offer any contribution to the library." He says to me. I smile, but my heart sinks a little, too.

Hyeon was one hell of a painter, and to this day people still go through his works with microscopes, discovering details that have never been noticed before. Born during the time of the 12th Avatar, Hyeon painted everything, from tress to royalty, even the Avatars he met. He lived to be 210 years old.

I follow Wan Shi Tong towards the room with the painting. My heart stops, tears well in my eyes. I can not believe it. I see it with my own eyes, and to an extent I refuse to believe what I'm seeing. Hyeon's legendary masterpiece, spoken of in legend, _Mankind in Brevity._

"Explain the work to me." Wan Shi Tong commands.

"Please, allow me to view it closely." I ask. He nods.

I walk over to the painting. It is colossal, ten feet tall, 21 feet wide, divided into seven equal parts. I walk to the left most part, and here Hyeon painted a gorgeous grassland landscape, filled with animals and plants, with mountains in the background. I inspect the details closer, and my jaw just drops. He painted a herd of sky bison drinking from a watering hole, with a pack of eel dogs running past them just a few inches away in the background. The sky is filled with all sorts of creatures; dragons soar, some breathing fire, with wolf bats flying around smoke rings, flocks of iguana hawks flitting across the clouds, as winged lemurs cling to the tails of dragons. Back on the ground I see an armadillo bear and a platypus bear fighting, as a porcupine boar burrows underground, with a sabre tooth moose lion resting in the shade provided by a tree. In the middle of the painting is a lion turtle with a forest on its back.

"Well?" Asks Wan Shi Tong.

"When it comes to Hyeon, one must look carefully at every detail, Lord Wan Shi Tong, lest you wish to risk misinterpreting his message." I explain to him. He huffs as I turn to the next part of the painting.

In this second part, I see the same background, but many of the animals are gone. There are now small wooden huts dotted about in the landscape. Smoke comes from some of these huts, while many human figures dance around the flames. I can see a platypus bear hunted down by some humans, its hide filled with spears. A very close inspection shows that Hyeon actually painted the bear to be bleeding. Amazing, if I were looking just one foot away, I would not have noticed such a detail. Once again there's a lion turtle in the middle, surrounded by humans. I notice something: the humans surrounding the lion turtle are standing upright and in attention. Those who are not, the hunters and the dancers, are crooked, hunched over. At the bottom of the painting I notice unnatural colors which greatly contrast with the greens, yellows, and browns that made the landscape: a pattern of white and blue, and one black and red. Rava and Vaatu. I look back to the first part, and sure enough the same pattern is there, in the exact same position.

"This pattern here, it repeats." I say to Wan Shi Tong.

"Yes, it is a reference to Rava and Vaatu." He replies, annoyed. I keep looking at the next part of the painting.

The natural landscape is replace by a city of lights. There are some animals, but they are all in service of the humans. A sky bison carries dozens of little humans, I presume them to be children, on its back. Some humans are not painted naturally, but rather, in a strange, blue color. A closer look reveals that these humans are transparent, and they fly around freely. A group of people lay around a glowing orb, apparently sleeping. Suddenly it dawns on me: it's astral projection. At the bottom I see a human and a lion turtle speaking together, and again the same Rava and Vaatu pattern repeats. I turn to look at the next part.

Right away I see Rava and Vaatu, no longer at the bottom, but at the center of the painting. The two are surrounded by four lion turtles with cities on their back. In front of every lion turtle is a human bending one of the four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. The background is once again a lush landscape, though now it is covered not just with animals, but with spirits as well.

"So far it seems to be depicting the eras of the past." I say out loud.

"Explain." He asks.

"This is the era before humans." I point to the first part of the painting. "Nature is bountiful, untouched. Beauty is everywhere."

"This is the first era of humans." I point to the second part of the painting. "This is from before humanity learned to bend the elements or the energy within. Humans live in conflict with nature; primitive and aggressive, we destroy to survive. But...the lion turtles guide us to a better path, one of civility."

"And this." I point to the third part of the painting. "Is the Golden Era, when humanity learned to harness the power of their own spiritual energy. Humans could all heal using the energy within themselves, they could project their spirits elsewhere, among other feats. These people didn't know war, didn't know hunger, didn't know strife."

"And this." I point to the fourth part. "Depicts the Era of Rava. When Vaatu broke through the barrier that separated the Spirit and Human worlds, he brought an end to the Golden Era of mankind, spreading spirits across the world. We humans could not defeat the spirits, and so we were driven to the backs of the lion turtles, who protected us. The world grew wild and hostile towards us, and humanity became divided."

I look at the fifth part of the painting. A single human figure dominates this part, painted in white and blue. To its top left is a flame pattern, top right is a windy pattern, bottom right a water pattern, and bottom left an earth pattern. Within the patterns are human figures, all of them armed, facing against the opposing patterns.

"This represents the Age of the Avatar. When Wan merged with Rava during Harmonic Convergence, he created a new era, one where the Spirit of Light and Order manifested itself in a human body, keeping the world in balance. It is an era of conflict between mankind, one where-" I stop. An idea just popped into my head. "Lord Wan Shi Tong, this painting is a history lesson, a brief description of the eras mankind has lived."

"Yes, I am aware." He replies. "What does this part mean, however?"

He points me to the sixth part of the painting. Here two figures face each other: two humans, one painted with the colors of Rava, and one with the colors of Vaatu. The background is a city, one where humans and spirits live together. Many of the humans have weapons, and some are seen bending the elements.

"I don't..." I stop. I get it. "This is a new era, one where there'll be two Avatars: one of Light and Order, and one of Darkness and Chaos. Like the Era of Rava, humans and spirits will live together. The humans will continue to live in conflict, it seems. But..."

I turn to the last part. It is once more a beautiful landscape, one filled with spirits and animals, but no people. I sit down, in shock.

"The painting says we humans will live through one more era, before we disappear from this world." I say, shaking. "It'll be an era of two Avatars. Conflicts will not cease... When we disappear, it'll be as if we were never there..."

"Yes." Wan Shi Tong says, nodding. "And that new era began eighty years ago, when Korra re opened the Spirit Portals. This is the Era of the Two Avatars, Pia. I wonder, how long until you humans vanish?"

He starts walking away from the painting. "You may continue your research, human. As promised, on your next visit you are relieved of having to contribute any new knowledge to the library."


	7. Chapter 7

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

The Birth of Humanity

I am glad I was granted access to the library today without having to donate something, but I was so shaken up by Hyeon's painting that all I wanted was to read something, anything that could take my mind off it. But no matter what I tried, everything came back to that painting. But I did find one heck of a find: a parchment much, much older than anything I've seen so far.

After I looked over the parchment, I deduced it to be older than 20 thousand years; from the early years of the Era of Rava at the latest. Perhaps it might even be from before then, to be from the Golden Era! If that's true, then I held in my hands what could be called, without exageration, the most important work kept in the library thus far. And when I read it, I was careful to not sully it with the tears that ran down my face.

The parchment narrated the origin of the world, or at least a creation myth that explained such an occurrence. Creation myths have varied between the Four Nations for a long time, but this one, by far, remains the most fascinating, to me at least. It goes like this...

In the beginning, before the sky bison flew the skies and the elephant koi swam the oceans, there was Mu. And Mu was all there was. There were no trees, no Sun, no Moon, no men, just Mu. But all the Mu gave birth to an egg, which lay in the Mu for ten thousand years. After the ten thousanth year the egg hatched and out came the great dragon, Pangu. The shell of Pangu's egg created the world we live in, while the yolk hardened and became the world of the spirits.

Eventually, Pangu saw there was nothing around him but the Mu, the shell, and the yolk. Pangu became saddened by his loneliness, and he cried for ten thousand years. Pangu's tears fell onto the shell, and thus the ocean was born. Once he stopped crying, Pangu died, with half his body falling into the shell, and the other half into the yolk. From the half that fell in the shell came the various creatures and plants that inhabit this world, while from the half that fell in the yolk came the spirits that inhabit their own world.

For ten thousand years the two worlds lived separately. In the spirit world lived three individuals: Tui and La, the two lovers, and Susano Oh, the illuminated. When the wall between the two worlds was lowered, Tui and La left the spirit world and ventured into our own, taking the form of two koi fish. Finding a small pond to be together forever, Tui and La began an eternal dance, whose magic manifested itself as the Moon.

After another ten thousand years, Susano Oh wished to visit his two old friends. So he too crossed into our world, and met with Tui and La. But when he saw how the animals shivered with the cold, he looked into the sky and saw that only the Moon offered only cold, silver light. He understood that aniamls needed warm, golden light. So he ascended to the sky and turned himself into a ball of golden light, bringing warmth to the world below him. And thus the Sun was created.

Another ten thousand years passed, and another spirit crossed into our world. Her name was the Nugua. She went to the Chuangzuo river, which has long since dried now, and from the mud of the river's shore, Nugua sculped eight tiny figures with two arms, two legs, a torso, and a head each. She smiled at her figures, but she then wept, for they would not move.

A lion turtle came to her, and asked "Gentle spirit, why do you weep?"

"Oh kind lion turtle, behold these figures I have made, so lovely and beautiful, yet they move not, for they do not live!" Wept Nugua.

"Weep no more, gentle spirit." Said the lion turtle as it breathed life into the figures. The figures stood up, but they possessed no eyes to see and no mouth to speak. And so Nugua, once more, was reduced to tears. And the lion turtle wept with her. "Forgive me, gentle one, for I can no naught else."

And Susano Oh saw Nugua weep, and his heart was torn asunder by the sight. So he descended from the sky and told Nugua "Take your eight figures to the Mother of Faces, and she shall give them a face."

And thus Nugua took her eight creations to the Mother of Faces, who granted her wish as a favor to Susano Oh, her own child. And thus, mankind was born. Nugua took the eight humans back to our world, gave them a kiss, and said "Go forth, fill this world with your children, so when I return to you, I can have many children to bless."

And she gave the first eight a different name each, and they were: Iza Nami, Iza Nagi, Hou Yi, Chang'e, Sedna, Anguta, Narada, and Shakti. And the eight went to the corners of the world in pairs, and their children had children, and thus the world was filled with people.

I found it fascinating that the parchment specified just how long it took for the world to shape, and that it was done in intervals of ten thousand years. This coincides with Harmonic Convergence, and it makes me question: did the ancients see Harmonic Convergence was the herald of a new age? So far, all evidence points to the fact that Harmonic Convergence always ends one age, and begins another one. Why this happens, I do not know.


	8. Chapter 8

**Wan Shi Tong's Legends**

Avatar Jampa, The Avatar Who Always Smiled

I had returned to the library today with 20 texts, hoping one would gain me entry. My secret hope was that Wan Shi Tong would reject only four or five before finding one he could accept, but he rejected 18. I am slowly running out of texts, and will need to do something about it...

Today I was lucky enough to find manuscripts of the lessons of Avatar Jampa, commonly known as the Avatar who always smiled. Many stories exist of Jampa, and all agree he was a fat and jolly fellow.

One story goes as thus: _Avatar Jampa was enjoying a bean soup, when the King of Omashu had summoned him. The King of Omashu was a terrible man, one who ruled with an iron fist. His word was the absolute law in Omashu, and those that disobeyed were killed by the King's order. Jampa, however, would not leave his soup, and began to drink it more slowly. An hour passed, and Jampa had at long last finished his bowl of soup. He got up, walked to the pot, and poured himself a second bowl. At that moment, a guard of Omashu had entered the small house Jampa was staying in._

"_The King has summoned you!" Cried out the guard. "And you make him wait?"_

"_Everyone waits." Replied Jampa, a smile on his face. "I am merely eating my lunch. Tell your king that, once I finish, I shall go to him."_

"_My king does not wait, Lord Avatar." Said the guard. "I ask you to go to him now."_

"_And I will, once I finish my lunch." Replied Jampa, still smiling. And so the guard left, and Jampa began sipping his soup even slower. Two hours had passed and the King of Omashu, along with fifty soldiers, came marching towards Jampa. The King bellowed out "Avatar! I had summoned you three hours ago!"_

"_Did you?" Replied Jampa, exiting the house._

"_I did! Why do you keep me waiting so long?" Roared the King. Jampa chuckled._

"_I was eating lunch." Replied the Avatar. "Have I not the right to a meal?"_

"_When the King makes a command, it must be followed!" Said the King. "In this city, my word is law!"_

"_Is it?" Replied Jampa. "Then how about commanding the wind to blow?"_

"_What? Have you gone mad, Avatar? I am no Airbender!"_

"_But is your word not the absolute law?" Replied Jampa._

"_It is!"_

"_Then make it rain." Said the Avatar._

"_Avatar! You will obey me while in my city!" Roared the King._

"_And how will you make me obey? All you have is your word, and your word can't even make it rain."_

"_My guards will destroy you, as they have destroyed ALL who opposed me!"_

"_Sounds to me like you are nothing without your guards." And then Jampa turned to the guards. "Is that true?"_

_The guards murmured among themselves as the king began to sweat._

"_Enough of this! Guards, seize him!" Roared the king. But Jampa remained calm as ever, for the guards did not move._

"_If a citizen disobeys, we enforce the law. But if WE disobey, who enforces the law?" Asked the captain of the guards. "All our lives, we have feared you. But when we think about it, what about you is so fearful if you are nothing without us?"_

_The king then stepped back, away from his guards. "Avatar, help! It's a coup, they are trying to overthrow the rightful ruler of Omashu!"_

"_Are you?" Jampa asked. "A kingdom is not a kingdom without a king, but a kingdom is nothing without people, and I've heard no love for you from the common folk. How can you be king without the support of your people?"_

_And the king did nothing but stare in horror as Jampa took his crown and gave it to the Captain of the guard. "Take this crown and give it to someone you'd be glad to call your king."_

_And to the ex king, Jampa gave his bowl of bean soup. "Now live like the people who feared you, and learn once and for all that love, not fear, is the key to power."_

This story has survived through various manuscripts specifically because it speaks so much about what power truly is. Avatar Jampa was one of the wisest Avatars to have ever lived, and it is said that the reason he always smiled was because he eventually found the true source of happiness. Sadly, much of his wisdom has gone ignored by those who needed it most. I've no doubt that listening to Jampa could have avoided so many catastrophes, like the Hundred Year War. Had Queen Hou-Ting listened to Jampa, we'd likely still have the Earth Kingdom, and this Cold War between the United Republic of Nations and the New Earth Empire could be avoided.


End file.
